Amusement device.



W. F. WATKINS.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR- 1, 1915.

Patented Jan. 11, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

OLUMBIA PLANouRAPH 420..WASMINOTONv D. c.

W. F. WATKINS.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE. APPLICATION Hm) MYQAR. 1, 1915.

Patented J an. 11, 1916.

2 SHEETS--S HEET 2- "usurp eras {I FIG.

WILLIAM F. WATKINS, OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR T0 C. W. VAN WYE,OF

SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

Application filed March 1, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, lVILLIAM F. WVATKINs,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Spokane, in the county ofSpokane and State of WVashington, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Amusement Devices, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention consists of an amusement device or toy of that typeembodying a figure or figures designed to be actuated so as to simulatenaturalistic movements.

In carrying out the invention, a pair of jointed puppets are employedand formed in imitation of boxers together with manipulative means forimparting thereto movements which partake of realistic actions wherebyto afford more or less amusement, and in conjunction with the movablemembers is also used a spacing member which performs a dual function ofmaintaining the puppets in proper relative position with respect to eachother, and, by reason of its censtruction, imparts vibrations to thesame when actuated by the manipulating means aforesaid with the resultof making more effective the simulative actions. These and such otherobjects as may hereinafter appear are attained by the novelconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafterspecifically described and claimed.

Reference will now be had to the accompany drawings forming a part ofthis specification, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a toy constructed in accordance withthis invention in position for manipulation. Fig. 2 isa top plan view ofthe puppets. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the connecting membertherebetween. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of one of the puppets innormal inoperative position. Fig. 5 is a detail view in ele ation of oneof the arm members, partly broken away to show more clearly the abutmentmember for said arm, and indicating if dotted lines the movements of thearm sec tions. i ig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 66 ofFig. 5. Fig. 7 is a vertical sect onal view taken about on the line 77of Fig. 4. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the bodv portion of one ofthe figures, with the jointed members therefor removed; and Fig. 9 is adetail perspective view of Specification of Letters Iatent.

Patented J an. 11, 1316. Serial No. 13,550.

the spring member with which the arm sections of the ngures arevprovided.

Throughout'the following detail description, and on the several figuresof the drawings, similar parts are referred to by like referencecharacters.

, Referring to the drawings the numera 1 and 2 designate a pair ofpuppets, each being similarly constructed mechanically and disposed inopposing positions facing each other, a connecting member 3 of specialform being pivotally connected to the body of each figure at the waistline as indicated at 4. The figures are provided with pivoted legs, 5,and sectional or jointed arms 6. Each arm consists of an upper orshoulder portion 6 and a lower or forearm portion 6", these sectionsbeing pivoted together at 6 as well as connected by means of a spring 7,one end of which is secured to the upper arm section, from where itpasses longitudinally to the elbow through the pivot 6 to and along theopposite side of the forearm section to which latter portion it issecured at its other end. The tendency of this spring is to maintain thearm sections substantially in alinement with each other but the tensionagainst the sections is not so great as to be difficult to overcome bvmanipulation in a npanner to be more fully described hereina ter.

The upper arm section 6 has formed at the elbow portion a projection 6which limits pivotal movement of the forearm section, and, furthermorethe portion' of the upper arm section 6 adjacent its pivot is cut awayas indicated at 6 in Fig. 5 with which cut-away portion a laterallyprojecting stop pin 6 cooperates to limit the movement of the upper armportion.

Connected to the forearm sections of each figure, at 8 is a.manipulative member or double cord 8, each portion of which passesupwardly through the guiding screw eyes 9 secured adjacent the upperportion of each upper arm section, from whence it passes upward to andthrough the screw eye 10 disposed in a support or frame 11 just aboveits cooperating figure. Each figure of the pair of puppets is thusconstructed and arranged.

'tensioned to maintain them upright.

It will be apparent that the cords 8 not only impart movement to thearms of the figures, but act as suspension means for said figures sothat it is easy for the operator to cause oscillation of the jointed members of the puppets in a manner amusingly imitative of the correspondingmovements of the bodies of human boxers. By reason of the peculiarassembling and construction of the parts it is even possible to make thefigures go through falls or knock-outs in a most realistic manner.

In the actual operation of the invention, it will be obvious that if theoperator inserts a finger of each hand through the loops at the freeends of the operating cords 8, the movements of the puppets may beindependently controlled, such movements being caused by jerking thecords. In this connection, the connecting member 3 performs its specialfunction of imparting to the figures a certain amount of vibrationbecause of the fact that it is of a resilient character or material andis operatively connected to the figures somewhat loosely as shown inFig. 3 of the drawings permitting not only vertical movements but slightrelative lateral movements of the figures with respect to each other.This member when the operating cords are jerked is vibrated andtransmits its vibration to the figures when actuated by said cords. I i

As shown in Fig. 7 the body portion of each figure is provided with astop pin 12 adjacent each leg, which with the corresponding stop pins 13projecting laterally from the leg members cooperate to limit rearmovements of these members. These pins enable the figures to assumestanding, immobile positions with their weights substantially held bythe surface upon which their feet rest, the cords being just slightlyIni tial pull on the manipulating cords raises the weight from thesurface and draws up the arms into substantial. horizontal or guardingposition and subsequent pull or jerk actuates the forearm and upper armsections under tension of the springs 7, all of these features beingessential to the most effective operation of the puppets. When the cordsare slackened the arms will fall to a position at the sides of thefigures as shown in Figs. 4 and 50f the drawings.

It is to be understood that I do not desire to be confined to theprecise form of the puppets as illustrated in the drawings, since it iswithin the purview of my invention to make these figures in imitation ofany human or other figures, as desired.

Other slight changes may also be made in the details of constructionwithout departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scopeof the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new is:

1. In a figure toy, the combination of a body comprising jointed armmembers and movable leg members, operating cords for suspending the bodyand for imparting oscillation to said parts, said cords being attachedat one end to a section of each of the arm members, guide meansprojecting from the top of the other section of the arm members andthrough which the cords pass, whereby to hold the cords in line with thepath of movement of the arms in the oscillation thereof, and means forforcing the arm sections into extended position.

2. In a figure toy, the combination of a pair of puppets each comprisingmovable arm and leg members, operating cords for suspending the puppetsand for imparting vibration thereto, means intermediate the puppets .forholding the same in spaced relation, said means comprising a springmember adapted to vibrate upon movement of the operating cords and totransmit such vibration to the puppets.

3. In a figure toy, the combination with a support, of a pair ofpuppets, means for suspending said puppets from the support, said meansconstituting manipulative means for actuating said puppets, and aresilient member pivotally connected at each end to said puppets tomaintain the same in spaced relation to each other. I

e- In a figure toy, the combination of pair of puppets, each comprisinga body portion, sectional arm. members movably connected thereto, andleg members also connected to the body portion, operating means formanipulating the puppets comprising an operating cord connected to oneof the arm sections, guide member on the other arm section through whichthe operating cord passes, and a support above said puppets from. whichthe operating cord is suspended a resilient member connected to the bodyportion of each figure for maintaining them in relative position withrespect to each other, and springs connected to the arm sections tendingto hold the same in normal positions.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two witnes es.

WILLIAM F. WATKINS.

Witnesses O. C. Moons, R. P. VVOODWORTH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

